Traditional packaging for wrapped reams (i.e., 500 sheets) of cut paper (8 1/20×11, etc.) for copy machines, computers, printers, and other applications involves folding and overlapping the tops and bottom ends of the packaging and sealing the folded ends using heat or adhesive materials. Reams are most commonly packaged for shipping, storage, and retail sale in ream wrap made of various materials, including the traditional paper (poly coated or two papers laminated with poly), plastic film, or a paper/film combination. In addition to encasing the reams of paper, the wrap materials protect the paper from physical damage and moisture pickup during shipping and storing. The wrap materials also protect paper products from physical damage during repeated handling and stocking on retail shelves.
As small offices and home offices have proliferated, the distribution and sale of reams of paper have changed from boxes for large users to wrapped individual reams for retail stores and the small office and home office users. A major disadvantage of traditional ream wrap packaging for the individual user is that the current method of opening the packaging destroys the integrity of the entire wrapped ream. For instance, when the folded bottom or top end of the wrapped ream is torn open, the entire folded package opens, destroying the integrity of the wrapped structure and exposing and scattering the loose sheets of paper remaining in the ream. For the individual user who uses only a portion of the ream at a time and needs to store the remaining sheets, the unbound papers pose an inconvenience and impediment to storage. Since the structural support of the original packaging is compromised, the result for individual users is often physical damage to the unbound sheets of paper being stored for future use. The current marketplace demands a ream wrapper that may be opened so that a user may remove part of a ream and store the remaining sheets in a structure that prevents physical damage and scattering of loose papers.